Psychotherapeutic Skills Training for Nurses on an Acute Aged Mental Health Unit: A Mixed-Method Design

This study examines the need for, and outcomes of, a psychotherapeutic skills training programme, within an acute psychogeriatric unit. Nursing staff were surveyed to explore their training needs in psychotherapeutic skills with inpatients diagnosed with depressive, anxiety, or neurocognitive disorders. Staff were then invited to participate in a focus group (n = 6) to identify content of such training, possible barriers, and an implementation strategy. Next, to ascertain the feasibility and acceptability of such training, materials and schedules were developed and piloted with a small group of nurses (n = 8), before being administered to nurses across the unit (n = 23). Impacts of training on the confidence and competence of nurses to use such skills were investigated. Of nurses surveyed (n = 20), 80% wanted to use psychotherapeutic skills in routine practice, but only 35% had received training in such skills in the last 5 years. Focus group results identified that nurses wanted training in skills related to engaging patients, responding to resistance from patients, problem solving, reminiscence, relaxation, and cognitive behaviour therapy. Nurses who underwent the pilot training reported increases in confidence and competence in using such skills. These findings were replicated in the unit-wide training programme and were found to be durable across a 3-month follow-up period. This study highlighted the training needs of nurses working in an inpatient psychogeriatric setting, approaches to implementing new skills, and benefits of training for nurses' levels of confidence and competence in using psychotherapeutic skills.